/(^ll 

t  ’'is  c. 

QUESTIONS 


RELATING  TO 

POLICY  AND  METHODS 

IN 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS. 


PREPARED  FOR  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  POLICY  AND  METHODS  OF  THE  BOARD 

OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS  OF 
THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 


LIBRARY. 

Board  of  Foreign  Missions 

OF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A., 

FIFTH  AVE.  AND  TWELFTH  ST,, 

NEW  YORK. 


a 


MISSIONARIES. 


I.  Preparation  and  Character  of  Candidates. 

(1)  Qualifications. 

(2)  Is  the  Seminary  education  adequate  ? 

(3)  Could  special  training  be  given  to  candidates  under  appoint¬ 
ment?  If  so,  what? 

(Authorities  :  Shanghai  Conference,  1890,  page  145 ;  Shanghai  Con¬ 
ference,  1890,  page  162;  London  Conference,  1888,  Vol.  II.,  pages  1-26; 
“  Missionary  Methods,”  Cust,  page  193;  Anglican  Conference,  1894.) 

II.  Salary  and  Perquisites. 

(1)  What  are  the  perquisites? 

(2)  Would  not  a  consolidated  salary  be  preferable? 

(3)  Should  salary  vary  with  fluctuations  in  exchange? 

(4)  Are  the  salaries  with  perquisites  now  excessive  ?  If  so,  in  what 
Missions  or  Stations  ? 

IH.  Mode  of  Life. 

(1)  Is  criticism  that  missionaries  live  extravagantly  justifiable? 

(2)  Does  it  tend  to  produce  a  chasm  between  missionaries  and 
natives  ?  Can  this  be  avoided  ? 

(3)  How  far  does  it  interfere  with  effectiveness  ? 

(4)  What  proportion  of  time  is  given  to  actual  mission  work  ? 

(5)  Relations  of  missionaries  to  foreign  residents,  extent  and  influ¬ 
ence?  Preaching  to  foreigners;  education  of  their  children.) 

IV.  Efficiency. 

(1)  Do  any  of  our  missionaries  fail  to  acquire  a  thorough  working 
knowledge  of  the  language  ? 

(2)  Is  there  reason  to  believe  that  an}^  through  indolence  or  in¬ 
judiciousness,  are  so  lacking  in  efficiency  as  to  warrant  admonition  or 
recall  ? 

(3)  Is  there  a  lack  of  spiritual  power  and  purpose?  (Anglican  Con¬ 
ference,  303.) 

(4)  How  may  their  efficiency  be  increased  ? 

(5)  Would  a  form  of  personal  report  embracing  searching  and  com¬ 
prehensive  questions  be  advisable  ? 

V.  Unmarried  Men. 

(i)  Should  men  be  encouraged  to  go  to  the  field  unmarried  ;  if  so, 
to  what  extent  ? 

V I.  Laymen. 

(i)  Should  laymen  be  sent  ?  If  so,  for  what  purposes  and  to  what 
extent  ? 

VII.  Vacations  on  the  Field,  and  Health  Trips, 

(1)  Where  spent  ? 

(2)  How  far  can  they  be  utilized  for  work  ? 

(3)  How  ordered  and  who  pays  expense  of  ? 


NATIVE  CHURCH  AND  AQENT5. 

(See  “  Methods  of  Mission  Work,”  Nevius.) 

I.  Cliurcli  Organization  and  Methods. 

(1)  Is  it  wise  to  impose  upon  the  Native  Church  the  forms  of  organ¬ 
ization  and  methods  of  work  prevailing  in  the  United  States? 

(2)  Is  there  danger  of  the  churches  being  dominated  by  the  mission¬ 
aries  ? 

(3)  Should  all  unordained  missionaries  become  members  of  native 
churches  ? 

II.  Native  Christians. 

(1)  What  is  the  character  of  native  Christians  ? 

(2)  How  far  should  they  be  encouraged  to  abandon  native  customs  ? 
(Shanghai  Conference,  1890,  pages  603-609.) 

(3)  To  what  extent  are  native  Christians  dependent  on  the  mission¬ 
aries  ? 

(4)  Does  the  placing  of  ministers,  supported  by  the  Board,  over  con¬ 
gregations,  weaken  the  people’s  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  spread  of 
the  Gospel,  and  for  the  attainment  of  self-support  ? 

III.  Self-Support. 

(1)  To  what  extent  has  it  been  attained  ? 

(2)  Are  pastors  installed  over  churches  non-self-supporting  in  whole 
or  in  part  ? 

(3)  What  is  the  attitude  of  native  helpers  on  the  subject? 

(4)  Bearing  on  self-support  of  the  methods  and  habits  of  giving  ? 

(5)  Are  salaries  so  guaranteed  by  the  Mission  as  that  any  failure  of 
the  people  to  meet  their  obligation  must  be  met  by  the  Board  ? 

(6)  To  what  extent  is  self-support  possible  ? 

(7)  How  develop  self-support  ?  (Paper  by  Dr,  Duncan,  Report  of 
New  York  Conference,  January,  1894.  Shanghai  Conference,  1890, 
pages  415-436.) 

IV.  Native  Agents. 

(1)  How  do  their  salaries  compare  with  those  of  same  class  of  people 
in  other  callings? 

(2)  Character  and  qualifications  ? 

(3)  Supplementary  training  in  Conferences,  etc.  ? 

(4)  What  classes  or  grades  of  native  agents  have  we  ? 

(5)  Attitude  of  Board  toward  natives  trained  in  America  ? 

(6)  Relations  to  missionaries  ? 

METHODS. 

I.  Educational. 

1.  Number  of  schools,  location  and  character,  classes  of,  as  day, 
boarding,  theological,  etc.  ? 

2.  Number  of  missionaries  employed  in  teaching,  and  how  much  time 
devoted  to  the  work  ? 


3.  How  man}^  native  agents  employed  in  this  work,  and  how  many 
of  these  are  Christians  ? 

4.  Education  of  native  helpers  ? 

(r)  What  aid  do  they  receive?  Effects  of  such  aid  on  students? 

(2)  Is  any  manual  labor  required? 

(3)  What  practical  training  in  evangelistic  work  ? 

(4)  To  v/hat  extent  should  study  and  practical  work  be  combined? 

(5)  Is  the  school  or  apprenticeship  system,  /.  training  in  practical 
work  by  individual  missionaries,  preferable  ? 

(6)  Is  the  course  of  study  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  men  and  the 
field  ? 

5.  High  class  education  ? 

(1)  To  what  extent  is  it  or  should  it  be  given  to  non-Christians  of 
either  sex  ? 

(2)  Total  cost?  To  what  extent  self-supporting  ? 

(3)  Evangelistic  character  of  ? 

6.  Do  our  methods  educate  children  away  from  their  own  people  ? 

7.  Use  of  other  languages  than  the  vernacular. 

8.  What  proportion  of  pupils  from  Christian  and  heathen  homes? 

9.  What  religious  instruction  is  given,  and  by  whom  ? 

10.  Enlargement  of  schools  at  expense  of  missionary  effectiveness  ? 

11.  To  what  extent  are  the  expenses  of  schools  met  by  the  people  ? 

12.  How  are  the  schools  controlled?  By  Mission,  Station  or  indi¬ 
vidual  ? 

11.  Evangelistic. 

(1)  How  many  missionaries  engaged  in  ?  And  what  portion  of  time 
given  to  it  ? 

(2)  Itineration.  How  much  is  done  ?  What  proportion  of  the  year 
devoted  to  it  ?  How  directed  ? 

(3)  How  many  natives  so  employed  ?  and  by  whom  paid  ?  How  is 
their  work  directed  and  controlled  ? 

(4)  Is  there  lack  of  faith  in,  and  of  effort  for,  the  conversion  of 
adults  ? 

(5)  Are  all  desirable  forms  of  evangelistic  work  made  use  of  ? 

(6)  Should  not  the  missionary  be  regarded  as  an  evangelist  or  a 
director  of  evangelists,  rather  than  as  a  pastor? 

(7)  Relation  of  central  stations  to  outlying  districts,  and  methods 
of  systematically  visiting  towns  and  villages. 

HI.  Industrial. 

(1)  What  responsibility  have  missions  and  missionaries  for  the  social 
condition  of  converts? 

(2)  Where  should  industrial  work  be  introduced,  and  to  what  extent? 

(3)  What  should  be  its  character  and  its  relation  to  other  depart¬ 
ments  of  the  work  ? 

IV.  Medical. 

(i)  What  should  be  the  character  and  extent  of  medical  work? 


(2)  Is  there  danger  of  building  up  large  medical  establishments  at 
the  expense  of  their  missionary  character  and  influence? 

(3)  To  what  extent  is  medical  work  evangelistic  ? 

(4)  Is  it  wise  to  send  trained  nurses  from  the  United  States? 

(5)  Should  payment  for  treatment  and  medicines  be  expected  or 
insisted  upon  ? 

V.  Trinting  and  Printing  Presses. 

(1)  How  many  printing  establishments  and  presses  are  connected 
with  our  missions  ? 

(2)  How  far  should  they  be  used  for  other  than  our  own  Mission 
purposes  and  needs  ? 

(3)  What  relation  should  such  establishments  sustain  to  the  Mission 
and  the  Board? 

(4)  Is  it  wise  to  permit  the  introduction  of  presses  by  individual 
missionaries  or  stations  for  their  own  use  and  under  their  own  control  ? 

(5)  How  far  should  ordained  missionaries  be  charged  with  the  busi¬ 
ness  supervision  of  printing  presses  ? 

VI.  Woman’s  Work. 

(1)  Relations  of  wives  of  missionaries  to  active  work? 

(2)  Is  the  present  ratio  of  single  women  to  the  entire  missionary 
force  satisfactory? 

Woman’s  work  is  included  in  the  other  general  divisions  of  the 
subject. 


ADMINISTRATION. 

I.  Home  Administration. 

(1)  What  is  the  Home  Work,  and  how  should  it  be  apportioned  and 
organized  ? 

(2)  Relation  of  the  Board  to  its  sources  of  revenue  and  our  ecclesi¬ 
astical  system  ? 

(3)  Relation  of  the  Board  to  the  other  Boards  of  the  Church  in  dis¬ 
seminating  information  and  stimulating  giving? 

(4)  Relation  of  Women’s  Boards  and  Societies  to  this  Board? 

(5)  Development  of  lay  interest,  men’s  leagues,  etc.  ? 

(6)  Question  of  special  objects  ? 

(7)  Literature  of  the  Board  ? 

(8)  Home  expenditure,  is  it  excessive?  If  so,  how  reduce  it? 

II.  Administration  Abroad. 

(1)  Is  government  by  Missions  the  best?  If  so,  are  their  present 
powers  and  functions  adequate  ? 

(2)  Would  greater  efficiency  be  secured  by  the  appointment  of  a 
Superintendent,  especially  in  our  larger  Missions  ? 

(3)  Relation  of  the  Mission  to  the  Presbytery  and  the  Native 
Church . 


(4)  Relation  of  the  Mission  to  the  individual  missionary  ?  Does  it 
exercise  the  control  required  by  the  Manual  ? 

(5)  Employment  of  Business  Agents  to  take  charge  of  the  treasury, 
and  other  secular  interests  ? 

III.  Relations  at  Home  and  Abroad. 

1.  Relations  of  Missions  and  Board  to  Governments  ?  (Shanghai  Con¬ 
ference,  1890,  pages  23-32,  401;  Gust’s  book,  pp.  42-70). 

(1)  What  is  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament? 

(2)  Forms  of  appeal  and  reliance  ? 

(3)  Influence  of  such  appeals  and  reliance  ? 

2.  Relation  to  other  Churches,  Societies  and  Missions? 

(1)  In  what  fields  and  in  what  forms  of  work  can  there  be  economy 
by  means  of  co-operation  ? 

(2)  Church  union  on  mission  fields? 

IV.  Estimates  and  Appropriations. 

(1)  Does  the  Mission  examine  and  criticise  estimates  in  detail  ? 

(2)  Is  the  grade  of  appropriations  too  high  ? 

(3)  What  is  the  effect  of  the  distinction  on  the  estimate  sheets  be¬ 
tween  “old”  and  “new”  work? 

(4)  The  fiscal  year  and  the  best  time  for  considering  estimates  ? 

PROPERTY, 

1 .  Shall  the  policy  be  that  of  renting  or  of  building  and  owning  ? 

2.  Style  of  mission  buildings? 

3.  Ownership  and  maintenance  of  buildings  used  by  the  native 
Church? 

4.  Character,  location  and  maintenance  of  Sanitariums  ? 

FIELDS. 

I.  Methods  and  Development. 

1.  Policy  as  to  emphasis  and  development,  as  between  fields? 

2.  How  far  shall  tangible  results  determine  the  Board’s  policy? 

3.  What  policy  as  to  methods  and  enlargement  shall  be  pursued  in 
each  Mission  ? 

II.  Review  by  Board. 

Annual  consideration  by  the  Board  of  fields,  to  study  each  and 
review  the  policy  ?  How  and  when  ? 

HI.  Visitation  by  Representatives  of  Board. 

(1)  Should  the  missions  be  visited  periodically  by  the  Secretaries? 

(2)  Will  the  benefits  of  such  visitation  justify  the  expense  of  travel 
and  loss  of  time  from  official  duties  ? 

(3)  Flow  often  should  each  field  be  visited  ?  and  should  the  stay  be 
short  or  prolonged  ? 

(4)  Should  the  Secretary  make  an  excursion  to  one  or  two  missions  ? 
or  an  extended  tour,  occupying  a  year  ? 


